The President of the Nakhchivan Football Federation and Azerbaijan Futsal Federation, Zaur Akhundov, spoke to Futbolxeber.az about the latest developments in Azerbaijani football and futsal.
- Recently, the Azerbaijani U-19 futsal team secured a spot in the main stage of the European Championship for the first time in history. Can we say that this team is already shaping up for the future?
- It's still early to talk about this. To be honest, the teams in our group weren't that strong. However, we still have a result. I congratulated the team as well. There’s still time ahead, though not much. Both the federation and AFFA are supporting the team. We are working towards having most of these players become part of the main national team in the near future. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate the team again.
- What are your thoughts on the main national team? After three games in the qualifying stage, they have collected only 2 points...
- As you know, our national team is currently made up solely of local players. Our priority is the youth. We aim to have U-19 players join the main national team within the next 1-2 years. The coaches are also working on this. A strong championship and international experience are essential for the development of the national team. The important thing is that work is ongoing. AFFA is doing a great job in providing the necessary support.
- Are you satisfied with the work of the national team’s head coach, Vitaliy Borisov?
- Vitaliy Borisov is doing his best. Of course, experience speaks for itself. From the outside, it appeared that there were some coaching mistakes in the last game against Greece. But that can happen to any coach. He’s just finished his futsal career. I don’t have any serious complaints.
- Earlier this year, Evgeniy Kuksevich was appointed as the head coach of Araz-Nakhchivan. Considering that Nakhchivan has been a base for the national team in recent years, what are your plans with the Russian coach?
- There are no current plans related to the national team. Araz-Nakhchivan signed a 5-month + 1-year contract with him. Kuksevich is quite a well-known coach in Russia. Just two days ago, his team won by a large margin in their debut game against Neftchi. However, it would be better to assess his performance in May.
- Moving on to major football. "Araz-Nakhchivan" had a great start to the season, but their performance in recent rounds has been somewhat unstable. Although there hasn't been a decline in terms of play, the results haven't been ideal...
- I always look at the table. The team can play well and create many goal-scoring opportunities, but the final result is what matters. As they say, history remembers the result. If you recall, last year Araz-Nakhchivan was at the top until the winter break, but later the team experienced a decline. However, that was a different period. As the president of the Nakhchivan Football Federation, I met with the team and shared my thoughts. There have been no changes after the first round. Some players are injured, but players who are no weaker are stepping in. I believe the team will learn from these mistakes. The issue is, in the last match against Kapaz or in some earlier matches, I saw some gaps in the team. If any player goes onto the field feeling too confident or thinking that the match will be an easy win, they are wrong. Such mistakes should not happen in sports. The primary responsibility lies with the coaching staff. I or club president Ramin Akhundov might speak for 10-15 minutes and leave, but the coaches are always there with the team. There are 14 rounds left in the season. I believe the team will learn from these recent mistakes.
- What is Araz-Nakhchivan's goal at this stage: to stay in second place, or qualify for European cups regardless of the position?
- The main goal is to qualify for European cups. Whether we finish second or third doesn’t make a significant difference. The team performed excellently in the first half of the season, and this opportunity should not be missed.
- What about the cup?
- Of course, we are still in contention for the cup as well. Every match is important. Whether it’s the cup or the championship, each match should be approached seriously. In the 1/4 final of the cup, we won against Zira, but a few days later, we lost points in the match against Kapaz. I’m not saying that the Ganja club is weak. Azer Baghirov’s work with Kapaz is evident. After the last match, I congratulated him, saying, "Thank you for assembling such a team, for playing this kind of football." Even though Kapaz doesn’t have a big budget, you can see Azer Baghirov's approach.
- Starting next season, the Premier League will feature 12 teams. What is your opinion on the increase in the number of teams?
- Increasing the number of teams is a positive development. I hope that the new teams in the Premier League will be from the regions. The format isn’t fully clear yet, but football should cover all of Azerbaijan, not just Baku and Absheron. There is a lot of talent in the regions that needs to be discovered. I support the increase in the number of teams. Thanks to AFFA President Rovshan Najaf for promoting this idea.
- What do you think about the decision to lift the foreign player limit?
- I hope it benefits Azerbaijani football. But any club with good financial resources might bring in as many as 17 foreign players. It all depends on the budget. Sports are built on finances.
- What is Araz-Nakhchivan’s strategy in this regard? Will the team have 17 foreign players?
- No, not that many. First of all, I’ll request that the strategy includes a focus on Nakhchivan football. As you know, Nakhchivan has a population nearing half a million, and there is significant interest in football. That's why attention must be given to the academy and youth football there. Soon, an internal championship will start in Nakhchivan, and a futsal league will be organized. The interest in football in Nakhchivan is great. People even express concern that Araz-Nakhchivan doesn’t play in their home stadium. If you remember, when the team played in the First League, there were 7-8 thousand spectators at every home game.
- Don’t you think that lifting the foreign player limit will negatively affect local players?
- Players should focus on improving themselves first. Local players should not get discouraged because the limit has been lifted. They need to prove themselves so that there will still be 3-4 local players in the lineup tomorrow. It all depends on the individual. We all want our players to play for top foreign clubs, but in the last 10-15 years, almost no Azerbaijani player has established themselves in foreign clubs. Maybe that will change in the future. Look at the Georgians, Kazakhs, and Uzbeks. We also want our players to play in such clubs, but they need to be developed first. Furthermore, it should be noted that 11 foreign players won’t come and play for our national team. I’ve always said that the flag of Azerbaijan is raised by the national team, not the clubs. Azerbaijani football is known 10% through clubs and 90% through the national team. I don’t want to interfere with anyone’s opinion, but I believe the national team is what matters most. Currently, we are in League D of the Nations League, and now we need to climb up step by step. We need to give a push to the national team. Today, the team is under Fernando Santos. Even if we replace him with Mourinho, the main thing is that the 11 players on the field should give their all. After my last comments, some were upset with me, but I stand by my words—players must give their best for the national team because it’s the national team that matters most. You are a journalist, and I am the president of the Nakhchivan Football Federation. We both care deeply about the national team. Qarabag has had success at the club level, and we all celebrate that. But we also want the national team to make an impact. The true indicator of Azerbaijani football is the national team. Supporting Santos and motivating the players is essential. What is lacking? Today, AFFA leadership is doing everything it can for the success of the national team. Santos isn't absent from the field.
- Araz-Nakhchivan still plays in Baku. We know this issue isn’t entirely in your hands, but you are the target of criticism...
- They criticize, and I accept that, but I didn’t build the stadium. The stadium has been inspected. I have personally spoken to certain companies. The turf needs to be changed, and the lighting system needs an upgrade. The dressing rooms are at a high standard. The companies we’ve discussed the matter with have requested 3 months to carry out the work. But, as you said, it’s not entirely up to me. Recently, the Ministry of Youth and Sports also inspected the stadium, and the plan for the necessary work has been prepared. A decision needs to be made, and the funding must be allocated to bring the stadium up to standard.
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